the dog bowl thing is pretty out of date, people use it to get inside the keg to clean it. Practically this isn't needed, better to take the easy road and just mount directly to the keg using the 2" flange on the top - this will mate with a triclamp ferrule.

Pressure gauge - forget about it, a still can't build pressure if you build it correctly.

thermo - you could have one if you want, but it's not needed for your still stype.

cleaning - just rinse the thing with water.

the "mash" (still charge, or boiler charge, or beer - mash is when you're converting grains to sugars in making beer) isn't all gone mate or else what would be the point of distillation? you're trying to separate alcohol. most people run until the output of the still has fallen to the point where they feel it isn't worth the energy to run any more. see http://distillapedia.org/index.php?title=Pot_still

No, no valves!

filters? no.

that length doesn't matter, no. build it to the practical demands of where your flake stand (O) will be.

Great information, thank you! A few more questions if you don't, mind.

Even though you say a thermometer isn't required, I'd like to use one to help make my cuts. I have a link where someone showed temps at which the cuts should be close to. Being new to this, I thought it would be handy to have.

Looking at this image of the triclamp ferrule here, originally found at this link:

A is welded to the surface of the keg, right?

B is threaded into C?

D mates with your column with a female to female sleeve?

E is a clamp of some sort, but where does it go, and what is it clamping?

F looks like an o-ring, does it go against the the ferrule at the top left (in the image) of the threads, looks like there's a lip there.

Thank you so much! I've done quite a bit of reading the past few weeks here and at homedistillers, and getting ready to have a go at it :)

this is my old 2" pot still. It's just a triclamp ferrule brazen to 2" pipe, connecting directly to the keg sanke fitting with a triclamp gasket and a triclamp. The gasket has the ring on one side shaved off. No welding, no cutting into the keg, good seal with ptfe, easy. Goes like this.

You could get a brass flange/ferrule from still dragon and that would be even easier. Or search easy flange on home distiller and make your own.

Great pictures, makes sense now, thanks! Looking at your pics and looking at the image of the flange from Still Dragon here, I understand how it goes. Why did you have to shave the triclamp gasket though?

One last thing (lol, yeah right), the last time I tapped a keg (admittedly quite some time ago), there's a ball valve inside the 'sanke fitting'. What do you do with that, how do you get it out? Or, since I am getting my keg legally from a supplier, maybe it does not come with one?

Edit - sorry I wrote this when I was half asleep. I shaved off the location ring on one side of the gasket because it doesn't fit into the sanke flange, which has a flush face. it will be abundantly clear when you have the parts in your hands.